Merry Christmas
by Cpt. Ritter
Summary: A Sheyla Christmas story, two maybe three chapters tops.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is Cpt. Ritter wishing everyone a Merry Shipping Christmas, and a Happy New Year. SHEYLA CHRISTMAS PIECE._

The jumper was silent as John piloted it with skilled hands towards the Athosian settlement. The temperature had dropped considerably over the past few day, leading to an occasional snow storm over Atlantis.

Teyla sat in the seat next to him, eager to be back with her people for a short time. He'd agreed to take her and accepted her invitation to stay during the Athosian celebration and feast that would be happening that evening.

His eyes grew wide as he flew over the normally green mainland. There was a thick blanket of snow that covered everything. He instantly thought about a certain plump man flying to all the children delivering presents. He suddenly realized that it was Christmas time.

His watch said it was the 24th of December. It almost made him forget the wraith, forget the assignment. He wondered how the Athosians had come about having a feast on this night, the night before Christmas.

"Check it out." He said to Teyla, pointing at the snow.

"It was a rare blessing on Athos." Teyla replied. "We rarely had the Ancestor's tears fall and this is when we celebrate their memory."

"Ancestor's tears?" John asked, not making the connection.

"The white..." Teyla trailed off, realizing that he didn't know what Ancestor's tears were. She searched in her mind for a few moments before remembering what the expedition members called it. "Snow."  
John nodded in understanding. "We have a celebration too on this day, well... more like tomorrow."

"Explain." Teyla asked, intrigued.

"On my planet we celebrate the birth of Jesus, who is supposedly the son of God, on December 25th. That's tomorrow by my watch."

"And what do you celebrate with?"

"Well, we get together with friends and family." He forced the painful memory that rose because of that statement down. "Then we exchange gifts and have a feast. For the young children there is Santa Claus, he's a chubby guy who delivers presents to all the children in the world in one night."

"That must be difficult."

John smiled. "There's no real man Santa Claus, but he symbolizes the spirit of Christmas. As for Jesus, son of God, you'd better ask Elizabeth about it."

"I see."

John landed the jumper just outside the settlement, which was covered in snow. "Speaking of snow, I have a great idea for some fun to do in the snow."

"Such as?" Teyla quirked an eyebrow.

"Making snowmen, snowball fights, stuff like that."

Teyla regarded him with a confused expression.

"Tell you what, I'll show you."

He grabbed his jacket and gloves from the seat behind him and opened the rear hatch. Immediately a cold burst of wind swept over him. He was glad he'd wore a thick shirt. He glanced back and noticed Teyla had quickly put her jacket on.

As he stepped out of the jumper, he packed a snowball into his gloved hands. He showed Teyla the packed ball of snow. "Normally, you'd throw it at somebody and then try and avoid getting hit back." He threw it against a tree.

He was shocked when an instant later, Teyla put a handful of snow down his jacket. He shivered and spun around to see her pretending to be innocent. He quickly packed two snowballs and tossed them at her.

She ducked behind the jumper to avoid the thrown snow and picked up more snow of her own. He readied one of his snowballs and slowly walked around the jumper. He was shocked to realize she wasn't there. It was then that he looked up, and got a snowball in the face.

Laughing, he wiped the snow from his face and threw the snowball at Teyla. He hit her square in the chest. She raised an eyebrow and leapt from the top of the jumper, throwing another snowball and running into the woods.

He picked up a snowball and chased after her. He hadn't had this much fun in years. He probably wouldn't have caught her, if she hadn't let him. In one sweeping motion she knocked his legs out from under him and pinned him to the ground.

Merely inches from him, their eyes met in a sudden realization of their positions. Teyla stayed in her position, not sure whether he'd let her move, or even if she wanted to.

It was John who spoke first. "Teyla, what's going on?" He said it slowly, making sure she understood that he knew exactly how they were positioned. She started to pull away, his arms pulled her back. "There's another custom on my world."

Teyla raised an eyebrow.

"If two people meet under mistletoe, then they should kiss."

"What is mistletoe?" There was a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

John pointed to the branch above her head. "That looks close enough." He didn't move, she had to take the first move. He wouldn't force this upon her, not like last time.

To him, the world seemed to slow to a crawl as she inched forward, until their lips met in a tender yet deep kiss that startled both of them. He could tell by the way her eyes snapped open before closing again as he leaned into it, trying to apologize for forcing this upon her earlier.

An eternity passed before they broke the kiss. John no longer felt the cold of snow, but he felt the warmth of a pulsing heart. He was sure, judging by the expression on Teyla's face that she felt the same.

_A/N: I'm tempted to write more, what do you say, do you want more... like the feast and how they deal with the fact that they're both soaking wet._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Not so Christmas themed in this chapter, but more romantically inclined._

John shifted, remembering he was laying in his back in the freezing snow. Gently shifting positions, he sat up, his arms still snaked around Teyla's waist. He brushed some of the snow from her hair, then grinned.

She quirked an eyebrow, then glanced back at the jumper. "We should probably head for the village."

John nodded, slowly standing up, reluctant to let go of her. "That's the most fun I've had in years."

"Athosian children are fond of playing games such as that." Teyla replied, starting to walk back towards the village, her hand entwined with his.

He glanced down at their entwined hands, surprised by the commitment in hers and even his own. He normally didn't fall for women, not completely, but if anyone asked, Teyla Emmagen had him. He couldn't say he was complaining.

As they reached the village, Teyla gave his hand a brief squeeze then released it. It was a small signal, a signal to take it easy. He could do that. He walked just a step behind her as she moved among the tents, looking for Halling's.

Halling was waiting for them when they arrived. "Teyla, Colonel Sheppard, it is a pleasure to see you both." He bowed his head slightly.

Teyla smiled broadly. "It has been many days Halling."

"Yes, it has. You both look cold, come, the fire is warm." Halling opened the heavy tent flap and motioned for them to enter.

John walked into a surprisingly warm tent. In a fire pit in the corner a warm fire blazed. Around it were two small stools. Hoping Halling wouldn't mind he sat down on one, warming his wet body.

Teyla seemed to be thinking the same thing. However, she retrieve a pair of blankets before sitting down. Handing one to John, she took her jacket off and snuggled into the heavy blanket.

John followed her example, hanging the jacket on a small stand and then warming under the blanket. It was thick and heavy, but that was best. He immediately felt cocooned in his own body heat.

Halling pulled a chair up next to them. "I must admit I am surprised you would both get so wet walking from the jumper."

"Well, I was explaining snowball fights to Teyla when she poured snow down my back." John quickly explained.

Halling regarded him with a confused expression. "Snow?"

"He means Ancestor's tears." Teyla replied.

Halling nodded in acknowledgment.

"We had a scuffle after that. Nothing major, though I ended up on my back in the snow." He glanced at Teyla, making no mention of the kiss they'd shared while laying on each other in the snow.

"I will bring some warm tea." Halling said as he departed.

XXX

An hour or two later, both of their clothes had dried in the warm air of the tent. Halling was out preparing for the feast. John sat alone near the fire, trying to understand his newfound feelings.

Fact number one, he was in love with Teyla and she with him. Fact two, their romance wasn't going to go over well with the US Air Force. Fact three, he wasn't sure how the Athosians would deal with it. Fact number four, he wasn't certain he could deal with it.

In the heat of the moment, nothing had mattered. Now everything mattered again. He owed it to her to talk to her about this. He was just making his mind up to go find her when she sat down next to him.

"John we must talk about what happened." Her voice was grave. He wasn't sure he liked that.

"Fair enough." He admitted, turning to face her.

"I wanted it." Teyla confessed suddenly. "In that moment John... all I thought about was you."

"I'd be guilty if I said I didn't say the same thing."

"But as we got to the village, I realized that our positions as leaders..."

John nodded. "Yeah, the Air Force wouldn't exactly like it if I dated a member of my team."

"Dated?" Teyla asked, confused.

John silently swore to himself, another word that didn't exist in the Athosian dialect. "Loosely, it mean romantically involved."

Teyla nodded. "I am not sure how my people would react."

It was John's turn to nod, his heart was turning to ice as he realized where this conversation was headed. "As much as it hurts," he said quietly, "we may have to go back to just being friends."

Teyla turned away. "I am not sure I can."

He placed a hand on her shoulder, drawing her back towards him. "I'm not sure I can either." His voice was quiet, almost a whisper.

Her eyes burned with a silent struggle over what could be done or what should be done. He was certain the same anguish was playing itself over in his soul. The honest selfish fact was that he didn't want to let go. He didn't want to pretend because ever since he'd crossed that line, he hadn't been able to jump back.

She looked different now. Whereas before she was simply an attractive and strong willed woman who was his best friend, she was an irresistible person. Her very presence brought something out inside him, something he'd prefer to admit he didn't have. She'd broken through all the boundaries he'd erected to shield his true self from others. She knew who he was, there was no way around it.

"We could conceal it." Teyla suggested nervously.

John shook his head. "I couldn't live like that, could you?"

"No." Teyla looked into the fire, it's light casting shadows on her face.

"And even if we did, it'd only be a matter of time before someone found out."

"Perhaps we should..." Teyla trailed off.

"You know, this is the last Christmas present I ever wanted to give you."

Teyla smiled at the light joke. "Perhaps we should wait, we both need time to think."

John glanced at her, not convinced, but willing to give her the time she needed. "Alright."

Teyla placed a hand on his cheek. "John, whatever happens know this, I love you."

He drew her into a gentle embrace. She didn't resist, but fell into it. He released her after a few seconds. After that kind of hug he wasn't sure it was possible to even pretend not to love her. After the kind of conversation they'd just had, he knew there was no way out, not any easy ones.

"So Teyla, when's this feast?" He asked.

"As soon as the sun sets."

John peeked outside, the sun was on the horizon. "We won't have long to wait."


	3. Chapter 3

The feast was followed by a roaring bonfire, John couldn't help but smile. He was stuffed from the food, and now there was time to relax around the fire. He had already started scheming for what to do for Christmas.

He briefly considered flying back to Atlantis to get a big red suit and use the jumper as his sleigh. He dismissed the idea, one because the jumper was too noisy, two because he didn't have a big red suit, though he was sure someone did.

Teyla came to sit next to him on the log. She smiled at him. "I trust you enjoyed the feat."

John stretched his legs and yawed. "I haven't eaten that well... in a very long time." He threw her a disarming grin.

It worked, Teyla blushed and turned towards the fire, the light casting shadows to hide her slightly reddish hue. "I should do something for my people."

"You thinking about Christmas presents?"

"Yes, I believe that at one time we had a holiday similar to it, but when we became nomads, we turned it into a simple celebration."

"That's a hard sacrifice to make." John said quietly.

She turned to him. "But thanks to you and Doctor Weir, we have a future again."

"So what did you have in mind?"

"Do we have enough chocolate for all the children? I know they enjoy it."

John quickly checked his pockets. "I didn't bring any with me."

"Would we have any in the jumper?"

John thought for a moment. "In the emergency supplies, as ironic as that sounds. How many?"

Teyla thought for a second. "Twenty."

"We're going to have to run back to Atlantis."

"Then we should go now."

John and Teyla made their excuses and walked back to the jumper.

XXX

"You can't possibly need two crates!" Rodney quipped, defending his precious substance.

"Come on Rodney, it's Christmas." John snapped his fingers in a very Rodney impression.

"The Daedalus is due back in three weeks Rodney." Elizabeth said. "They bring more every time they come."

Rodney looked like he was going to put up a fight, but instead he sighed. He motioned for them to take it, the stood next to Elizabeth. John grabbed one of the crates, while Teyla grabbed the other. He stopped just before leaving.

He turned to Rodney. "You wouldn't happen to know anyone who brought a Santa Claus outfit, do you?"

"No Colonel, why on Earth would anyone have that here?" Rodney snarked

"Just checking."

With that John and Teyla carried the crates to the transporter which they took to the jumper bay. The jumper was still open and powered up. John placed his and Teyla's crates in the back of the cockpit, not wanting to disturb the carefully arranged supplies.

He climbed into the pilot's seat and took off.

XXX

The Athosian bonfire was still roaring, but most of the Athosians had gone back to their homes for the night. John walked slowly, not wanting to get to the bonfire too quickly. His hand found Teyla's as they walked.

This time Teyla didn't pull her hand away as they entered the village. He wasn't about to pull away from the best thing that had ever happened to him. He stopped and sat down on one of the logs. Teyla sat next to him.

The night was getting cold. He stretched his legs to catch more of the fire. To his surprise, Teyla snuggled close to him, leaning on his shoulder. He nervously placed his arm around her.

He glanced across the bonfire and caught Halling's gaze for just a moment. He could've swore he saw Halling nod approvingly. He wasn't surprised, Halling was one of Teyla's strongest supporters among the Athosians, almost like family.

As he reflected on it, he'd gotten more than he ever wanted for Christmas. He was sure, without a doubt in his mind, that Teyla loved him. He made up his mind right then, he'd love her no matter what. No matter what obstacles blocked their relationship. The Air Force couldn't stop him.

He looked down at her, she was silently sleeping with her head against his chest. He smiled, they were the only ones still out around the fire. He nudged her awake.

She was only partially awake as he guided her to her cot in the back of Halling's tent. Once again, he caught a knowing gaze from Halling as he emerged. He smiled. "I'm just going to check on the jumper, then I'll be back."

Halling nodded as John walked out of the tent. He smiled, he was sure Halling knew what was going on, but not what was going to happen tonight. It was his, and Teyla's, secret. He took his time walking back to the jumper, knowing he had to wait until most of the Athosians were asleep.

He reached into the overhead rack in the jumper and pulled out a backpack. He emptied it of it's usual supplies, basic repair equipment and loaded it full of chocolate bars from the crates. He walked into the cockpit and pulled the life signs detector from the hidden compartment. While he was at it he might as well be sneaky.

He waited for an hour before setting off. The night was extremely crisp, rapidly getting cold. He could feel the snow crackle underneath his feet. It brought him back to Antarctica, which was a fond memory since coming to Atlantis. If he hadn't been assigned there then he wouldn't have come to this amazing place, met Teyla and all the incredible members of the expedition, and battle space aliens. All in all, life was good.

He paused outside the first tent and listened. It was quiet. He glanced down at the detector, three blips were inside it, none of them moving. He decided to take a risk and peek inside. The tent was dark. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a few chocolate bars and placed them on the table in the main area.

He ducked back outside and sighed, one down, a lot to go, but it was all worth it. He darted to the next tent.

XXX

He awoke to an astonished cry from Jinto. His cot was in the main area. He'd exhaustedly stuffed the empty backpack under it. He rolled off the cot and moaned, it had been a very late night and Jinto was up surprisingly early.

He scratched his head. "Jinto keep it down."  
Jinto obviously couldn't as he rushed over, showing John one of the chocolate bars that had been left on the table. "But look, where did it come from?"  
John smiled. "On my planet, there's this guy called Santa Claus, and he delivers presents to everyone. Looks like he made a stop in the Pegasus galaxy last night."

Jinto ran off to find his father. John smiled, hearing another child's astonished cry from somewhere in the village. He'd been successful. The Athosians had definitely had a very Merry Christmas.

He shook his head, trying to clear the fatigue. He glanced at his watch. He'd only slept four hours. He moaned and poked his head into Teyla's section of the tent. She was stretching, looking well rested. It was better than he was.

"Mourning Teyla."

She instantly snapped to alert. "John, did you..."

He smiled. "Yes I did, and I think it was a hit." He stepped into her section of the tent.

"Did I fall asleep on you?"  
"Yeah, then I helped you walk here, but you weren't really awake."

Teyla nodded, an awkward silence permeating the air.

"I think this is when I say scoff the Air Force." John finally said after a few moments of silence.

"How bad can it be?" Teyla asked, knowing his answer would sweep her off her feet.

"Not as bad as not being with you." He said, drawing her into his arms and kissing her. "Merry Christmas Teyla."

_A/N: Alright, Santa came to Pegasus so you can be sure he's coming tonight so get to bed and be good, and hopefully he won't leave you coal. Just kidding, Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays, whichever you prefer._


End file.
